"Byzantium" Topic

I just completed Norwich's 3 volume history of Byzantium. What a great read that was. I am ashamed that I had never read anything about Byzantium before. What a rich, diverse and exciting story. This was my first read on the subject so I am not an expert by any means but it was definately an enjoyable time reading these books.

What a coincidence! I am reading it right now and having a great time. He skips on military stuff, but concentrates on politics. Fascinating and easy to read.

Agreed. His work on the Normans in Italy and Sicily is also worth a read.

Just to add to to A Twiningham's list – Norwich's "History of Venice", in a sense completes the Byzantium trilogy.

His description of Venice as "the daughter of Byzantium", and the contrast he draws between the fall of Constantinople, and the surrender of Venice to Napoleon, has always stuck with me.

I second the enthusiastic comments about J. J. Norwich's history of Byzantium. My daughter bought me 'The Normans In Sicily' a few years ago (paperback in one volume pub by Penguin) and I love to dip into it.

Norwich is great. If you want to really jump into the deepend, read Ostrogorsky's History of the Byzantine State. Also try on Procopius' The Secret Histories.

Ah, Lord Norwich. I really like the dates on the top of each page, makes going back later to look stuff up easier.

The Venice book has a great story of an old lady in who quashed the single coup by beaning the standard bearer with a roof tile. The grateful Senate granted her and her family protection against a rent increase forever. It was used centuries later by her family to ward off an increase. I figure she's the patron saint of rent control.

…skips on military stuff…

Bummer. Politics and religon are only interesting because they result in wars. And wars are only interesring because they result in fighting and killing. Sounds like another boring Will and Ariel Durant approach….

There's plenty of fighting and killing.

And blinding. Seems like some pretender to the throne is blinded on at least every third page. The most memorable method was propping the eyes open, and holding the victim's face over a pot of boiling vinegar.

In the introduction, I remember Norwich quoting Gibbon's snotty dismissal of Byzantine history as being too full of murder, intrigue, torture, etc., to hold the attention of a Victorian reader. These are, of course, EXACTLY the things that hold the attention of a modern reader . . .

Blindness by pickling? Yeearrgh.

Thanks for all the other reading recommendations I'll certainly look them up. Norwich's other books will be on the list, I enjoy his writing style very much. I am also considering The Alexiad. Even though Anna is most likely really biased.

"Even though Anna is most likely really biased."

Heh. Maybe a little…

The Alexiad is a very informative and fun book.

I second Ostrogorsky, I finished a run of books on my shelf on this era over the winter.

of the general histories, Oman's history of Byzantium didn't hold my interest, but Ostrogorsky did. I don't have Norwich to compare.

overall, its not the period for me, but its never a bad thing to cover a little of an uninteresting period to keep the chronologies in order.

You'll get Ostrogorsky's history for not much more than postage price from ABE books, IIRC.

Yep! I'm not really a student of Byzantium, but Ostrogorsky is worth a read. On the military matters, I have been impressed by Bartusis' "Late Bizantine Army": great!

Ostrogorsky's History of the Byzantine State
One of the best books on the matter

Eastern Roman history was too full of murder, intrique and torture comapred to Roman history. For a guy who wrote a history of ROme, Gibbon seems sometimes to not know his suject :)